The Five Most Expensive Pez Dispensers in the World

Pez dispensers have been around for many decades. In fact, people may not realize that this candy company has been around for nearly 100 years. It was originally created in 1927 by Eduard Haas in Austria and sold a variety of candies, specifically the cute little Pez.

The original Pez was designed with a peppermint flavor to help most Austrians who were addicted to smoking quit that habit. Fascinatingly, the campaign bore fruits as most people were transformed, and they quit smoking. That in and of itself makes the Pez (PfeffErminZ) mint worth a note in history.

However, when Haas relocated his company to America in the early 1950s to introduce Pez, he tried to use the same approach that worked in Austria. For whatever reason, it did not produce the same result. As a result, Pez’s meteoric rise came to a screeching halt, and nearly went out of business.

After failing with the first Pez Dispensers in America, he resorted to a different approach and created a new type of Dispenser that resembled a space gun that could shoot out and dispense candies in 1956. This desperate move helped to transform the company almost overnight. Furthermore, a year later, someone came up with the idea of creating a plastic head that was placed on the dispensers, and the rest was history since hundreds of unique Pez Dispensers have been created.

Pez remains one of the most popular candy brands, producing multiple dispensers yearly that become hot collector’s items. The most expensive Pez dispenser purchases are rather bizarre and diverse, and the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold will likely surprise you.

This article will look at the five most expensive Pez dispensers in the world. We’ll examine their history, highlight how much they sold for on their purchase, and provide other information to help you decide if you want to buy the most expensive Pez dispenser: you probably won’t when you see the price.

Our Methodology

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The 5 Most Expensive Pez Dispenser Purchases

Now that you know how we found the most expensive Pez dispenser purchases, let’s take a look at some of the most expensive Pez dispensers ever sold in the market today. Some of these are definitely hot collector’s items that will appeal to many people. Others will be more niche or surprising. Make sure that you read carefully through this list to learn more about these unique dispensers.

5. The 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ($9,866)

A lucky bidder walked away with the Pez Dispensers of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. The auction took place on eBay and closed on May 13, 2018, with a winning bid of $9,866. That probably seems absurd, but that’s the power of the British royal family in action.

According to Delish, this bid was slightly lower than the one conducted for Prince William and Duchess Kate’s candy dispensers in 2011 for $13,360. When bidding began, 25 people joined the race to get this attractive Pez dispenser that featured Harry and Meghan Markle.

This most expensive Pez dispenser used their outfits during their engagement announcement. Megan wore a nice white coat that was widely discussed in the fashion circle worldwide. Harry was a bit more low-key, as befits his well-known philanthropy.

All the proceeds from the auction were directed towards a good course to help the Make–A–Wish Foundation. Thankfully, this is the case because we’d have been pretty disappointed if this Pez dispenser’s profits were used for any other reason. It’s hard to imagine buying something at that price, no matter how cool it looked.

Well, the clever idea behind this dispenser was its rarity. As much as the Pez Dispensers have become the most sought-after souvenirs worldwide, the Austrian candy company behind its creation made only a single piece for auctioning purposes on eBay. As a result, it’s one of the rarest on the market.

Pez and Make-A-Wish Foundation used this collaboration to bring smiles to various families by creating Pez dispensers and auctioning them off to raise funds to ensure that more children get help to make their dreams come true. It’s a unique but strong approach that has helped many children.

Whether these two companies will work together again is uncertain. What is certain is that the proud owner of this dispenser hasn’t exactly come forth to let the world know. Perhaps more auctions are to come; the world will just have to wait to see what Pez comes up with for the next one.

4. The 1950s Clear Space Gun ($11,211)

The clear space gun Pez dispensers created in the 1950s are wonderful collectibles that can be easily snapped onto even modern Pez heads. That fact showcases the fascinatingly unchanging nature of Pez dispensers. Simply put, even the most expensive Pez dispenser is identical to the setup that you can buy today.

As you might expect, these space gun Pez dispensers are rare to find. Furthermore, the price will discourage you if you want to own a piece of them. One was sold in 2006 on eBay during an auction for $11,211 to the highest bidder. At the time, it was the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold.

Surprisingly, the gun was fake and produced by a fraudster who used the real Pez space gun to develop the molds. They sold multiple copies of this Pez dispenser to unsuspecting people and used poor quality materials, which they began to wear out and reveal their poor quality.

It is believed that only two real Pez with clear guns exist today. However, there are many reproduction versions from the 80s and the 90s that are available for far less. That makes it an easier investment if you’re interested in a classic piece of unique candy history for your collection.

3. The 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut B ($12,000)

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At the time of its sale, the 1982 World’s Fair promotional dispensers became the most expensive Pez dispensers ever sold at an auction block on eBay. Even now, it remains one of the most sought-after purchases on the market today and is to be available in only two pieces or models.

The one that was auctioned on eBay had a white helmet and a green stem, while the other known remaining dispenser had a blue stem and a blue helmet. What is the story behind this unique item? Well, let’s take a deeper look at how this became the most expensive Pez dispenser (at the time).

These unique Pez dispensers were created to be presented to the World’s Fair Board. The idea was to pitch collectible astronaut dispensers to sell both at the fair and on the general market. Interestingly, no other pieces were produced apart from these two test products.

As a result, they were immediately collector’s items, though it’s true that some Pez fanatics had an idea that they existed. Eventually, they were placed on eBay, which confirmed their existence. A major bidding war erupted, driving the price higher until the final sale.

The final sale price came to light when a former Pez employee acquired it from the auction records, whose bidding reached over $32,000 with five days for the auction remaining. Eventually, it was sold for $32,205 when the auction closed in the “Scruffy little city “of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2006.

So, wait a minute. Why is this not listed as the most expensive Pez dispenser in the world if it sold for $32,205? There are a few mitigating factors at play here, specifically the fact that the sale was never finalized, and the seller never received the money that was owed to them.

According to Antique Week, it is believed that the highest bidder never possessed it because the buyer went mute when the seller went to collect the money. As a result, the actual sale was never completed, which means that this unique Pez dispenser sits waiting for someone to buy it.

The true value is still debated within the Pez Circle as some consider it to be within a price range of $10,000 while Pez Company values it at $12,000. Whether anyone eventually buys it or not, it’s still an interesting part of Pez history and could be the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold if it comes up for auction again.

2. Prince William and Duchess Kate ($13,360)

Pez created the Prince William and Duchess Kate Pez dispenser to commemorate the royal couple’s upcoming wedding. Like everything related to the royal couple, this most expensive Pez dispenser was immediately sought after and highly bid on upon its release.

Its design represents the happy couple for their fans to get the opportunity to own this original collector’s item. This royal pair dispenser became the most sought-after when they were placed on eBay for auction in 2011. It immediately started getting lots of bids from all over the world.

According to Work+Money, the donations’ proceeds would be channeled towards the Starlight Children Foundation, which, according to the report, was a choice made by Middleton, who has been a supporter of this charity for many years. It looks to support young children who have been hospitalized and to make their family’s lives a little easier during difficult times.

When the auction on the most expensive Pez dispenser sold at that time closed, the winning bidder was $13,360. While these two dispensers may not be the most sought-after dispensers in the World, they became the most expensive ones to be sold during an auction.

Interestingly, the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold is an even bigger part of history. It’s the kind of collectible that people willingly pay massive amounts of money to purchase, even as much as the price of a downpayment on a home. On that note, what is the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold?

1. The 1961 Political Donkey Pez Dispenser ($20,000-$25,000)

Here’s a story that needs a little background. This rare pe Pez was created in 1961 as a gift for then-President John F. Kennedy when he visited Vienna, Austria. It was part of a major political move to stabilize relations with various European countries during the Cold War.

According to PEZ Candy, only two of these Democratic donkey dispensers were created. It is believed that PEZ Candy Inc. holds them safe. One of the Pez was a Democratic donkey dispenser, and the other was a Republican elephant dispenser that would have been shared with a Republican president.

The values of the two dispensers are believed to be currently at $20,000 to $25,000. They were created using ivory and are currently being debuted for a good course initiative to help InnVision Shelter Network end homelessness.

Only two or three versions of these dispensers are believed to have existed. The Dispenser owned by JFK is considered the single most converted piece of Dispenser to exist. Note that other donkey Pez dispensers do exist, including promotional items for the film Shrek, so be careful if you decide to buy the most expensive Pez dispenser in the world.

Final Verdict

All the Pez Dispensers distributed globally come from the production factory in Orange, which produces close to 12 million tablets of Pez daily, using 50,000 pounds of sugar daily. Americans are believed to consume close to 3 billion Pez candies per year, becoming an iconic pop culture over the years. Most Pez dispensers aren’t worth that much money, so it’s truly a rare one that captures the collector’s imagination and catapults their prices into the stratosphere.